FX today picked up “Damages,” the Glenn Close mystery drama, for two more seasons (26 episodes), with production slated for next year in New York. The convoluted but ultimately rewarding first season was a gift at a time when network TV series weren’t particularly clicking. Depending on the length of the writer’s strike, the additional seasons could be delayed.

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.